Didn't Mean To Hurt You
by Monika11
Summary: When a bad joke is carried too far..


**Didn't mean to hurt you**

"Okay, show me, Blondie, show me that you can walk  
around my place, blindfolded, and know where  
everything is." Starsky took a cloth , tied it around  
Hutch's head , then pretended to knock his partner out  
to see if there was any kind of defensive reaction –  
nothing. Hutch couldn't see anything.

"Are you ready?" and with these words Starsky pulled  
his partner out of the chair , spun him twice,  
steadied him with his arms and then let him loose.  
"Here we go," Starsky said encouragingly and watched  
his partner walking around. It was amazing how well  
Hutch knew how to move in Starsky's place without  
seeing anything. "You wanna have a drink?" Hutch had  
found the couch , sat down and opened a beer.  
Incredible! Starsky thought. Hutch got up again and  
found his way to the kitchen window. "Nice weather,  
isn't it, Starsk?" Slowly but surely Starsky was  
losing his high spirits. "Well, partner, not so bad,"  
he had to admit.

"Oh, I just forgot, have to use the bathroom," and  
Hutch felt his way over to the couch again and turned  
left in the direction of the bathroom. On his way  
there had to be the big armchair – he groped, but  
didn't find it. He hesitated. Should he turn more to  
the right? He stepped forward and finally touched the  
chair. He knew exactly where he was again. He smiled.  
There was the door to the bathroom. " See you," he  
called. Confident of victory, he stepped out and  
closed the door behind him. Shortly after Starsky  
could hear a rattling noise and somebody swearing  
explicitly. Starsky chuckled. If Hutch knew that he  
had just changed the position of the chair…

The door flew open and a furious Hutch entered the  
room. When he saw Starsky looking like the cat who  
swallowed the canary, Hutch's rage increased.

"Are you nuts?" he yelled and he was about to push  
Starsky against the wall, but then he changed his  
mind. His right side was hurting because he had fallen  
down the stairs. He only wanted to leave, and with a  
"You are a real friend," he slammed the door behind  
him.

"Spoilsport! It was only a joke," he heard Starsky  
shout after him.

* * *

The next days were uneventful. The two detectives  
worked on their cases, but even Dobey noticed that  
there was no laughter in the squadroom , no bantering.  
Hell, they had even stopped teasing him about his  
unsuccessful diets, and though he should be glad , he  
felt quite uncomfortable. Maybe it was about a woman  
again. Dobey sighed and tried to concentrate on his  
work.

Hutch was still hurting. Not only was his side blue  
and green, but the friend he trusted with his life had  
played such a bad joke on him. Instead of apologizing  
Starsky had laughed and had taken it lightly.

Hutch had to find a way to pay Starsky back.

* * *

His chance for revenge appeared some days later. On his way to work

he saw a damaged red Torino with white stripes abandoned in the  
streets and about to be loaded onto a tow-truck. It  
couldn't be Starsky's because his partner usually came  
to work later.

What about bringing that car to the station and  
pretending it was Starsky's?

That would be a blast if Starsky saw his car almost  
totally damaged! Hutch knew that the Torino was  
Starsky's beloved "lady" . He always went nuts when  
Hutch dropped some paper on the floor or teased him  
about his odd taste. The longer Hutch thought about  
his little revenge, the more contented he felt.

First he had to make some phone calls to locate the  
car and to speak to some officers to let them in on  
his little joke. How lucky he was that Starsk not had  
arrived yet.

"Morning," Starsky trudged into the squadroom and felt  
a little irritated when he looked at the smiling face  
of his partner's. Was the "war" between them  
eventually over? Starsky felt the tension of the last  
days fade. He would have his old partner back. The  
next remark gave proof of Hutch's changed behaviour.

"Hey, buddy, want me to take your car to Merle's to  
get the oil checked? I've already finished some  
reports, so you'll have more time to complete yours."

Give his precious car to Hutch? Why not, Starsky  
decided, He tossed his car keys in Hutch's direction .

" 'kay,if you bring some lunch from the burrito snack  
bar," Starsky relished Hutch's disgusted expression.  
Then he was gone and Starsky began to work humming a  
little tune.

Two hours later the door to the squadroom burst open  
and an officer called for a "Detective Starsky". "It's  
me," Starsky answered not looking up from his folders.  
"Would you please follow me?" the man's voice sounded  
strained, and finally Starsky paid attention. He rose  
from his chair and followed the man down to the  
station garage…

Hutch was hiding behind a corner where he could watch  
closely what would happen.

Starsky's real car was parked safely a few parking  
spaces over.

Now Hutch heard approaching steps and voices. One of  
them belonged to his partner. "What are you going to  
show me, officer?" Starsky seemed restless. "Look,"  
said the man, barely concealing a smile.

Starsky came around the corner and saw the car. A red  
Torino with white stripes. Practically destroyed.

Hutch watched in anticipation.That serves him right,  
he thought.

"Oh my God!" Starsky was rooted to the spot, his eyes  
fixed on the car. Finally he moved slowly nearer and  
touched a crumpled part of the metal, carefully as if  
he feared to do more damage. He shook his head not  
willing to believe what he saw in front of him.

"That can't be true."

Hutch behind the corner had a jolt at the next,  
quietly spoken words.

"Hutch…", Starsky's voice had lowered to a whisper,"  
Hutch, where are you…?" Starsky felt as if something  
tore him apart.

He choked and almost cried out: "No! That can't be! –  
Officer!" The other man approached, looking nervously  
at the agitated detective. "Sir?" he asked wishing he  
was miles away.

"My partner, where is my partner? He drove my car.  
What has happened to him, tell me!"

"I - I - don't know," stuttered the man. This was  
supposed to be a joke. Why was this man acting so  
weird?

"Oh Hutch, buddy, don't do this to me," and Starsky  
turned to the officer again, this time a little more  
desperate.

"Blond guy driving? Gotta know what happened to him,  
man. Is he in the hospital?"

Hutch behind the corner couldn't stand it any longer.  
Tears were in his eyes. What he just witnessed had made  
him feel deeply ashamed.

It was not his car that Starsky cared for, it was  
always the well being of his partner that Starsky had  
in mind.

Hutch had to do something at once to avoid further  
damage …

He stepped out of his hiding place and took steps  
toward his partner.

"Starsky? I'm here, nothing happened to me. Look,"  
Hutch tried to smile but he couldn't.

Deep blue eyes, full of sorrow , looked at him in  
disbelief.

"Hutch? Is it you?" And then two arms were thrown  
around him and Starsky was holding him tight. Hutch  
was about to lose his composure, so he stiffened and  
tried to break the embrace.

"I have to tell you something," he said and didn't  
dare look into his best friend's eyes.

"Don't worry about the car. That I have you back, not  
hurt, is the most important thing." Starsky beamed at  
him.

"Hey! Speaking of being hurt… You hurt me, Starsk,  
when you let me go through your front door,  
blindfolded, and I fell down your stairs. I decided to  
take a little revenge on you and brought this damaged  
car here. It isn't yours, Starsk, yours is safe over  
there.

But Ok, it was a bad joke and I feel so sorry. I  
forgot that you always…"

"…cared about you? " Starsky finished the sentence.  
"You should know that, dummy. And what are you telling  
me about falling down my stairs and hurting? Where did  
you get hurt? Let me see ."

"But not here!" they said in unison, and suddenly all  
seemed to be easier again . A smile appeared on their  
faces and Hutch looked down at his hands.

"Here are your burritos," he said, but the bag in his  
hands was scrunched because of all the commotion.

Starsky put his hands over Hutch's as he said  
seriously:" Didn't mean to hurt you, you know that?"

Hutch nodded:" Me neither."

They looked into each other's eyes and all was right  
with the world.

THE END


End file.
